Grading Panthers position groups on offense after the 2021 draft

Carolina Panthers TEs

Classic tight ends may be somewhat of a dying breed in the NFL with legends like Jason Witten retiring in recent years and the game moving more toward pure pass-catchers at the position. But that doesn’t mean they’re extinct just yet.

The Carolina Panthers tight end room was nothing more than a disappointment last season, and whether that was caused by Teddy Bridgewater’s more reserved style or just they weren’t blessed with enough quality at the position we don’t know yet. However, the front office saw the need for improvement and brought in former Arizona Cardinals starter Dan Arnold to lead the charge in 2021.

While Arnold isn’t of the quality of a player like Travis Kelce, he is certainly better than what was trotted out last season, and it isn’t even close.

The biggest negative at the position was the loss of blocking stud Chris Manhertz. This is a skill that goes severely underrated in the NFL until it’s not there and it wasn’t a presence like this in Carolina going into draft weekend.

With Ian Thomas always being more of a pass catcher and Colin Thompson leading the rest of a group with extremely limited experience, the Panthers needed help. That was found in the third round with Notre Dame standout Tommy Tremble.

While Hunter Long – taken two picks ahead – is the better pass catcher, the Panthers got a blocking master in Tremble and that’s just what they needed to solidify the front end of their tight end room. Especially with a lack of quality at certain positions along the offensive line and what looks to be a somewhat more pass-happy offense in 2021.

Having that extra blocker will prove invaluable to a team that likes to move its lineman and run the ball down the throat of the opposition while still reserving the right to throw a deep ball off play-action as well. With that being said, Tremble still managed to outgain the entire Panthers tight end group with his limited ability and opportunities at the college level in 2020.

Grade: C+

Even with the addition of a blocking presence like Tremble, the Panthers still have a fairly weak tight end room. Unless Thomas finally lives up to his potential after being demoted or some relative unknowns down the chart show massive improvement, this is a position the team will need to address again next year.